Refrigerator



5 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. MUFF'LY REFRIGERATOR Filed May 26, 1930 INVENTOR 6262177 /Wyffy BY @aad/Ww RNEYs. l v

G. MUFFLY Nov. 22, "1938.

REFRIGERATOR I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 26', 19:59

f INVENTOR 6761757 f Uffly.

NOV. 22, 1938. v G. MUFFLY 2,137,541

` RERIGERATOR I y Filed May 26, 1956 5 Sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR Glenn Muff/y Patented Nov. 22, 1,938

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRJGERATOR Glenn Mailly, Richmond, Mlch. Application May 26, 1930, serial No. 455,741

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved refrigerator, particularly of the type which has a removable refrigerating system.

Heretofore in installing and removing refrigerator units from their cabinets, the services of at least two workmen have been required and frequently it is necessary to move the refrigerator from beneath overhead shelves or cabinet in order to provide suiiicient clearance. In some instances, low ceilings render it impossible to install or remove the unit in the room or space in which it is normally located. 'I'he unwieldiness of the unit often causes the cabinet in which it is housed to be injured during installation and removal. When one unit is removed and replaced by another', electrical and mechanical connections have to be broken and reestablished at the expense of considerable time and effort.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a refrigerating system that is compactly assembled so as to be conveniently installed or removed by a single workman; to provide an improved cabinet for receiving a refrigerating system of this kind which has a refrigerated space and communicating door openings through which the assembly is insertable; to provide connectable hinge elements on the interior of the' cablnet and on the assembly respectively by which the latter may be pivotally suspended in the door opening and rotated therefrom into a horizontal operative position; and to providemeans for releasably holding the assembly in an operative position with the heat absorbing means thereof located in the refrigerated space and the heat dissipating means located outside of the refrigerated space.

Other objects' of my invention are to provide means for automatically forming electrical connections in a power circuit of the system and mechanical connections in clock switch operating mechanism thereof as the assembly is moved into an operative position; to-provide means of this kind for automatically breaking the above operative connections when the assembly is removed.

Further objects of this invention are to provide an improved truck upon which removable refrigerator units may be conveniently transported; to provide manually shiftable supports in a device of this kind for raising and" lowering a unit so as to bring the connectable hinge elements of the unit into and out of cooperating relation with the hinge elements of the cabinet; to provide improved means for releasably clamping a refrigerator unit on a. truck;V and to provide a truck of this kind withy the aid of which a single workman can install and remove units conveniently.

An illustrative embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. l is a vertical section taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2, showing a refrigerator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a. horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. 10

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a truck for installing and removing refrigerator units, illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which the latter is pivotally mounted in a cabinet.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the truck shown` in Fig. 4. J y

Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section View taken centrally through and axially of the control switch shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the construction of the 25 same in detail. f

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but also showing the cooperative relation between the clock mechanism and the manual control.

In the f orms shown, the refrigerator includes a 'cabinet I having side walls which are either formed of or provided with heat insulating material and a top wall which includes a removable wall section 2 and stationary wall parts 3. u Formed in the cabinet I is a refrigerating space or compartment 4 which communicates through thebpening 5 in the top wall of the cabinet in which the removable Wall section 2 is located, with a chamber 6 in a casing l preferably formed as an integral upward extension of the side walls 40 of the cabinet. The cabinet l has a door opening which is provided with a door 8. The door opening communicates with the refrigerating space 4 permitting access thereto for allowing insertion and removal of articles to berefrigerated. Shelves '9 are mounted in the refrigerating space Il for receiving the articles.

Mounted on the upper side of the Wall section 2 is a sealed compressor unit including a motor Ill which operates a compressor ll lof the ,50 type commonly used in refrigerating units. The compressor ll communicates with a condenser l2 which is also mounted on the upper side of the wall section E through a pipe i3. A ian l magnetically driven through the sealed casing' of 55 the compressor unit by the rotor of the motor i is rotatably mounted on the housing of the motor IU adjacent the condenser I2, between the latter and the motor, for cooling the coil l of the condenser. The back wall of the casing I is provided with an opening for the circulation of cooling air through the compartment 6 in accordance with conventional practice, and additional openings may be provided optionally, in the front and side walls for the same purpose.

The motor l0 is provided with an electrical circuit which includes line wires i6 and an overload safety switch H connected in series with the line wires l5, a pair of Contact members i8 which are mounted on the stationary wall portion 3 oi the cabinet, a pair of registering contact members i9 mounted on the removable wall section Zi of the cabinet and a control switch mechanism 2 which is also carried by the removable wall section 2. 'The control switch 23 is electrically connected with terminals El and 22 of the motor lil by wires 5,3 and 'i4 respectively, the terminals and il?. of the motor being connected with the running winding thereof.

l starting circuit including conductors 25 2li is electrically connected with a terminal 2l and. with the terminal 22 for supplying a current to the starting winding of the motor ill. Connected in series with the starting circuit is a mer cury bulb switch which includes a tube 28 that is carried by a rocher arm 29 having a vane located in the path of the air current created by the fan Ed. Normally the mercury bulb switch is in the position shown in Fig, i and the globule of mercury in the tube 28 is in contact with the terminals of the switch.

When the fan i4 is driven at a predetermined speed, the air current created thereby acting upon the vane 3U tilts the bulb 28 to the right as viewed in i causing the globule of mercury 3i to move out of engagement with the contacts of the switch. This action opens the starting circuit allowing the motor to be thereafter energized solely by the running circuit.

The control switch 2G is provided with actuating mechanism including an electrical clock 32 which is mounted in the chamber 6 and supported by the front wall 33 of the casing 'l'. The clock 32 is electrically connected in parallel with the line circuit i5 by conductors 34. A cam member 35 is driven bythe clock mechanism 32 which is adapted to rotate the cam through two complete revolutions each 24 hours. Formed in the periphery of the cam. 35 is a. cam groove 3B consisting of two intersecting convolutions and having a projection 31 in one convolution which is adapted to engage an arm 38 of a bell crank lever 39 once each twenty i'our hours. One extremity of the bell crank lever 39, which is pivotally mounted on the housing of the clock 32, registers with an arm 40 of a bell crank lever 4| of the control switch 20.

The switch includes a rotatable contact member 2| pivoted at 2II and having an insulated contact plate 22'. secured thereto which is electrically connected with the conductor 24 by a wire 23' and a iixed yieldable contact member 25' which is electrically connected by a wire 26' with one of the contact members I3, the other contact member I9 being connected by a wi`re 21' with the conductor 23. The rotatable member 2l has a laterally extending arm 28' upon which a disc 29' on the end of a. spring 30 has rocking contact. The other end of the spring carries a disc 3|' against which an adjustable screw 32' bears. These discs have depressions for receiving the ends ot the screw 32' and arm 28'. A downwardly extending arm 33 on the rotatable member 2|' has its lower end located between spaced collarsb'34' and 35' which are threaded on a shiftable rod 36', the rod 36 being received at one end in a tubular guide 31'. The other end of the rod 36' is threaded in the boss 38' formed on the head 39' of a bellows 49, the boss 38 being guided for slidable movement in an aperture of the fixed bracket 4I.

The bellows 49 communicates through a tube 53 with a bulb 48 which is located in the refrigerating compartment 4 and held in contact with the brine tank 55 therein by a spring clip 4l. The bulb 48, tube 50 and bellows 49 are lled with a suitable volatile fluid which gasifles upon heating and condenses upon cooling.

When the projection 31 of the cam 35 engages the arm 38 of the bell crank 39, the latter rotates the bell crank 4l of the control switch 2D in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l, `thereby causing the arm 42 of the bell crank to tilt the rotatable member 2i so as to bring the contact 22 into engagement with the :Cured contact member and to close the circuit of the motor i0. This tilting of the rotatable member 2l about the pivot 2li throws the pressure of the spring upon it either above or below the center of the pivot 2H and 'this pressure thus retains the rotatable member in the position shown in the Fig. 8 when the pressure of the spring acts below the axis 'of the pivot 2i l, in which position the block- 22' bears against the contact 25', and when the pressure of the spring acts above the center of the pivot 2H it rotates the arm 2B' to maintain the lower end of the arm 33' against the stop 35 and moves the block 22 out of contact with the contact member 25'. When the arm 28 is in the position indicated in Fig. 8 the spring 30' maintains it in such position until the bellows 49 is contracted suillciently by the attainment of a predetermined low temperature in the brine tank 55 and consequently in the bulb 48, to shift the rod 36 far enough to the right to shift the line or" pressure of the spring 3D' from below the center of the pivot 2H to above`the center of the pivot 2li, at which time the spring 30 causes the member 2l' to rotate until the arrn 33" contacts with the collar at which time, as above described, the contact block 22 is moved out of contact with the member 25', thereby opening the motor circuit. In this manner the compressor Il is periodically driven by the motor l0 until a predetermined temperature is produced in the brine tank.

In the event that the temperature of the brine tank 55 increases above a predetermined degree, the volatile fluid in the bulb 48 will expand and cause the bellows 49 to expand. The bellows 49 in expanding will move the rod 36 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 8, against the pressure of the spring 52 until the line of pressure of the spring 30 is again shifted to below the axis of the pivot 2H, at which time the member 2| will be rotated by the pressure of the spring 30 in a. clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, until the lower end of the arm 33' again contacts with the stop 34', at which time, as above described, the block 22' will move into engagement with the contact 25 and will again close the motor circult, thus starting another refrigerating cycle.

The control switch 23 is provided with a manual actuating device comprising a rod 44 which is slidably mounted on the housing of a clock 32. 'I'he inner extremity of the rod 44 co-acts with a downwardly curved extremity on the arm 40 of the bell crank 4I so as to rotate the latter in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l, thereby closing the switch when the rod M ris pushed inwardly. The rod 44 carries a collar I5 which registers with a lever 4B of the overload switch I1. When the overload switch l1 is opened by an excessive load, the lever 46 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 and it may be re-set by pushing the rod M inwardly.

With the above mechanism, the motor I0 may be manually started by manipulation of the rod 44, it may be started by the temperature sensitive mechanism, and by the time clock 32.

The system generally is operable in the following manner. Assuming that it is functioning under thermostatic control, lt'will operate until the temperature of the refrigerator is at a predetermined low point and then will stop operating as a result of the thermostatic control. Between times that the clock `becomes eective for initiating operation of the refrigerator, the system may function dependent on the thermostatic control, but it will be appreciated that the refrigerator will have a substantial idle period between starting and stopping under thermostatic control.

The clock-driven cam- 35 acts at a. predetermined time tc modify the thermostatic cycling of the system by forcing the switch in the con` trol 20 to close, and by holding the switch forcibly closed for a fixed period of time dependent upon the angular length of the 4cam projection 31. 'After the cam has rotated through the necessary angle to carry the hump 31 out of engagement with arm '38, the thermostatic means cornes back into action and normal thermostatic cycles are resumed. The length of the operating period initiated by the clock may be greater than the length of time during which the hump 31 is engaging the arm 38, but it can be no shorter than this.

The thermostatic means will act, in the event that the desired minimum temperature has been attained during the clock-controlled running period, to re-open the switch immediately upon the movement of the cam to `a position which allows the switch to be re-opened. Manually pushing on the rod M acts to start the system in the saine way that the cam does, except that the cam holds the Aswitch closed for a period of time suicient to remove a considerable amount of latent heat from the brine, thus storing up a reserve of refrigerating effect during the 'hours when electric power consumption is at a minimum and itscost low so that the system need not operate so many hours during peak-'loadconditions of the power line or during hours when its operation is for any reason undesirable.

Mounted on the lower side of the removable nected to compressor H by aconduit 51, the latter and the pipe i3 extending through an opening 58 in the removable wall section 2. The brine tank 55 has a compartment 59 in which ice trays 60 are received and the tank is surrounded by a combined baille and drip pan 6I having an opening in its front wall in registration with the compartment 59, and the tray is provided Awith a frontplate 62 adapted to close the opening. The .bottom wall of the drip pan El has a forward section which is rearwardly inclined and a rear section which is forwardly inclined, there being an aperture 63 at the intersection of these sections. A bucket 64 is supported by one of the shelves 9 in the refrigerating compartment and is located directly below the opening G3 in the drip pan 6i. y

It will be seen that in the above construction the heat absorbing portion of the refrigerating system is mounted on the lower side of the removable wall section 2 andthe heat dissipating portion of the refrigerating system is mounted on the upper side of the removable wall section. In this manner, a compact assembly is provided in qwhich the heat absorbing means is llocated in the refrigerating space 4 and the heat top wall of the cabinet so as to position the heat absorbing and heat dissipating means in the above relations. This is accomplished by the provision of spaced hinge elements 65 rigidly mounted on the stationary part 3 of the top wall of the cabinet, and co-operating hinge elements 61 rigidly secured to the front portion of the removable wall section 2 or to the upper side of the brine tank 55. 'Ihe outer ends of the hinged elements 61 are each provided with a cross pin 66 which are adapted to be received and retained in the hooked lower ends of the parts 65. Mounted on the outer extremity of the rear wall of cabinet l is a metal strip 68 which extends transversely of the chamber 6 and` overhangs the opening 5 in the upper wall of the cabinet i. This strip limits the upward rotation of the removable wall section 2 about the hinged elements. Slidably mounted in recesses 69 in the rear wall of the cabinet i are a pair of catches 10 which are normally urged outwardly by springs 'il so as to engage under and support the rear extremity of the removable wall section 2. The strip 53 and catches lil retain the removable wall section 2 in a horizontal position thereby closing the aperture 5 between the interior of the chamber 6i and the refrigerated space t of the cabinet. A layer of yieldable material 12 is located between the upper edge of the rear wall oi the cabinet i and the strip Gt for permitting the removable wall section 2 to be rotated slightly above the catches "it, thereby allowing the latter to be extended to engage under the section 2.

Rotatably mounted on the lower side ci the wall section i is ashaft 13 which extends transversely of the cabinet and is provided with arms 14 and 15 each engaging an inclined inner extremityof one of the catches 1li. The arm 14 has an integral lever 16 on which a iiange 11 is provided. TheYV ange 11 extends outwardly from the `lever 16 and is adapted to be engaged by the thumb of a workman so as to rotate the arms 14 and 15 in a counter-clockwise direction inwardly with respect to theirI recesses 69 so as to disengage the catches from the lower sides of the removable wall section 2. In this manner.

' as viewed in Fig. l, thereby urging the catches 10 the wall section 12 is released and permitted to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 until it hangs in a vertically suspended relation in the refrigerated space 4, (see Fig. 4) it being understood that the upper shelf 9 and bucket 65, as well as the baille 6l, are removed prior to releasing the rear end of the Wall section 2.

During this clockwise rotation of the wall section 2 and the refrigerating system assembly carried thereby, the contacts IS are moved out of engagement with the contacts I8 so as to automatically disconnect the refrigerating system from its power circuit. In the same manner, the arm 4D oi the bell crank lever 4i of the control switch 20 is rotated out of registration with the bell crank 39 of the switch actuating mechanism, thereby automatically disconnecting the mechanical means by which the switch 20 is operated. When the wall section 2 together with the refrigerating system assembly carried thereby is rotated from a vertical position to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 the electrical connections between the contacts I9 and I8 are automatically reestablished and to embrace the lower forward` edge of the brine tank 55 and the projection 91 is adapted to extend into the ice'tray opening which is formed in the brine tank 55. Formed on each support 92 is a lug 98 which extends between the removable wall section 2 and the brine tank 55 as shown in Fig. 4 in the space into which the catches 10 normally extend when the assembly is in an operative position. The clamping levers 95 are normally held in clamped relation by a spring pressed detent 98 which co-acts with teeth |00 formed on the edge 0i the clamping member.

In installing units of this kind in a. refrigerator cabinet they are mounted on the truck in -the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and the truck is wheeled up to the front side of the cabinet.v Then the crank 9| is turned in one direction or the other as required until the assembly is positioned at a correct elevation so that the unit registers with the door opening of the cabinet. Then thetruck is rollediurther toward the cabinet so as toinsert the heat dissipating portion of the system and the removable wall section 2 into the refrigerated space l. The truck and carriage are then maneuvered the mechanical means by which the switch 20"A so as to move the unit inwardly and upwardly is actuated is reconditioned for operation. The electrical contacts of the stationary and removable parts of the cabinet are located with respect to each other so that they register only when a unit having a motor of proper voltage and frequency is installed in the cabinet. For example, units which operate upon 110 volts have their contact elements in a diierent relation than units which operate upon 220 volts so that should a workman install an improper unit in a cabinet, current would not be supplied to the motor, thus avoiding damage to the motor.

Units of the above type are necessarily very heavy and in order that they may be installed and removed conveniently by a single workman,

l have provided an improved truck which, as`

shown in Figs. 4 'to 7, inclusive, comprises a frame having spaced side members 'i8 and a transverse member or axle le at one end 'on which spaced wheels Sii are journaled. Mounted between these side members 'F8 are transverse bars Si and the bar 3i being adjacent to the axle andthe bar t being at the opposite ends of the side members '13. ournaled in bearings 33 and S5 of the transverse bars Si and C2 respectively is a threaded shaft 35 with which the carriage 85 is connected. The carriage is mounted on the side members 'i8 and moved on them by the shaft 85. The carriage 88 has spaced side members 'l which are connected together by cross members 8S and 80. The cross member 59 has a nut part 8S thereon in which the shaft 85 is threaded. Mounted on the end of the shaft 85 which extends beyond the cross members 82 of the frame is a crank Si by means of which the shaft 85 may be rotated for shifting the carriage 8S in respectively opposite directions longitudinally oi the frame. The shiftable carriage 8E has a pair of supports on its lower end as viewed in Fig. 4 for receiving a refrigerating system assembly of the type described above. The other end of the carriage 36 is provided with a `pair of legs 93 each having a rubber-foot 94 thereon or similar material lor supporting the truck when the latter is in a horizontal position.4 Pivotally mounted on each leg 93 of the truck is a releasable clamping lever having an arm 96 on which a projection 9i' is formed. The arm 96 is adapted cycles of the system, clock-actuated means modi- 75 l suiliciently to engage the hinge elements 61 on the system assembly with the hinge elements 65 which are rigidly mounted on the permanent wall part 3. then depressed, releasing it from the ratchet |00 so as to free the clamping member 95 which may be rotated out of engagement with the unit therebyr permitting the carriage 86 to be lowered until the lugs 98 on the supports 92 are disengaged from the unit. Then the truck may be wheeled away from the cabinet allowing the unit to remain in a suspended relation as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. After the truck has been removed, the refrigerating assembly may then be rotated inwardly with respect to the cabinet until it reaches its horizontal position shown in Fig. l. The catches 10 are then eX- tended by their springs H so as to retain the unit in an operative position.

Although but one speciiic embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

What I claim is:

i. A refrigerating system, an electric motor arranged to drive said system, a thermostatically opened and closed electric switch for controlling the normal operating cycles of the motor, clockclriven means for modifying said operating cycles during definitely spaced time intervals, and Inanual means for initiating a running period of the system to be terminated thermostatically.

2. A refrigerating system, temperature rcsponsive means for controlling the operatingl cycles of the system, clock-actuated means for modifying said cycles from their normal lengths of operating and idle periods, and manuallyactuated means for starting the operation of the system at times when it is idle under the normal control of, said temperature responsive and clock-actuated means, the temperature responsive means being adapted to stop the operation of the system initiated by the manually-actuated means.

3. A refrigerating system, temperature responsive means for controlling the operating The outer end of the pawl 99 visfying said cycles from their normal temperature controlled periods and manually actuated means for starting the operation of said system at times when it is idle due to the action ci said clockactuated means, the operating period initiated by operation of the manually actuated means being terminable automatically 'by operation of one of the two iirst mentioned means.

e. A refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerating system installed in the cabinet, an electric motor operating said system, a switch in the motor circuit for opening and closing the latter, thermally responsive means for opening and closing the switch, means including a eicel.' mounted on the cabinet for actuating the switch, and manual means for actuating the switch independently of time clcel.

5. A refrigerating system comprising an electric switch. for controllingv the running periods 25e-foi? 'the system, thermostatic means ier opening.

and closing the switch, and time controlled means for effecting an operation of said switch at a predetermined time independently of said thermostatic means.

lG. A. refrigerating system including a Clocli mechanism, a compressor motor, a switch in 'the motor circuit, tnermostatic means for normally governing operation of said switch, and means actuated by the clock for closing said switch independently of said thermostatic means.

7. A refrigerating system comprising an electric switch for controlling the running periods of the system, thermostatic means for opening and closing the switch, time controlled means ici: eecting an operation of said switch at a predetermined time independently of said thermostatic means, and means for manually actu ating the switch.

GLENN 

